Two men, aged 34 and 61, have been charged with the murder of a 37-year-old Zimbabwean man who was stabbed in Claremont, say police.
The man’s body was found at around 6.30am, on Thursday August 24, in front of a block of flats near his home in Frederick Road, said Claremont police spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Marnus Fourie.
The man had blood on his hands and on his clothes from a stab wound to the chest, and he was declared dead at the scene, said Lieutenant Colonel Fourie.
Police said the man’s identity was known to them, but they did not name him.
Lieutenant Colonel Fourie said security at Cavendish Square had seen two men following the man as he had walked home from the Blue Whistle Sports Bar at about 2.30am.
About 10 minutes later, the men had walked towards the mall wearing a jacket that looked like the one the victim had worn.
The Claremont Improvement District Company (CIDC) was alerted and stopped the two men close to Warwick Street.
“The CIDC then called Claremont police, and upon their arrival, they also asked the suspects again regarding the jacket. Again the two males could not give a reasonable explanation,” said Lieutenant Colonel Fourie.
Claremont police had also found a watch with a broken strap, a silver chain and a cellphone on the suspects, who were arrested on suspicion of being in possession of stolen property.
The items had later been connected to the murder victim, said Lieutenant Colonel Fourie.
The two men were charged with murder and possession of stolen property and, on Monday, they appeared in Wynberg Magistrate’s Court where they were remanded in custody pending a bail application.